Oleksandr Turchynov: Appeasement of the aggressor increases the threat of unleashing by the Kremlin of full-scale hostilities in Europe

Demonstrative and sweeping revitalization of bloody provocations by the Russian occupation troops completely thwarts the cease-fire agreements. Having placed its firing positions in residential neighborhoods of the occupied settlements and using heavy weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements, Russian military significantly intensified shellings of the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was stated by Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov.

"Only in the last day, as a result of shellings, seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed and nine got injured", - Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine noted, stressing that these are the biggest losses over the last year. "The responsibility for these bloody provocations is borne by the military and political leadership of Russia, which systematically and consistently torpedoes the peaceful way of the conflict resolution and the liberation of the occupied territories", - he emphasized.

According to Mr. Turchynov, the systematic preparation for stepping-up of the military confrontation by the Russian Federation is also evidenced by the concentration of heavy weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements, along the delimitation line. "Apart from that, - he added - over the last month, the use of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles, both reconnaissance and fighting ones, has intensified significantly". Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine stressed that unmanned aerial vehicles were launched not only from the occupied territory, but also directly from the Russian territory.

 "I want to draw the attention of our strategic partners to a demonstrative and cynical discrediting by Russia of all the common peace efforts", - Oleksandr Turchynov noted, underscoring that "the path of appeasement of the aggressor instead of strengthening the sanctions and other real actions only leads to growth in the number of victims among the Ukrainian military and civilian population, and also increases the threat of unleashing by the Kremlin of full-scale hostilities in Europe".